B4.14

Optimization and Control
Part II, 2004

Consider the deterministic dynamical system

x˙t=Axt+But\dot{x}_{t}=A x_{t}+B u_{t}

where AA and BB are constant matrices, xtRnx_{t} \in \mathbb{R}^{n}, and utu_{t} is the control variable, utRmu_{t} \in \mathbb{R}^{m}. What does it mean to say that the system is controllable?

Let yt=etAxtx0y_{t}=e^{-t A} x_{t}-x_{0}. Show that if VtV_{t} is the set of possible values for yty_{t} as the control {us:0xt}\left\{u_{s}: 0 \leq x \leq t\right\} is allowed to vary, then VtV_{t} is a vector space.

Show that each of the following three conditions is equivalent to controllability of the system.

(i) The set {vRn:vyt=0\left\{v \in \mathbb{R}^{n}: v^{\top} y_{t}=0\right. for all ytVt}={0}\left.y_{t} \in V_{t}\right\}=\{0\}.

(ii) The matrix H(t)=0tesABBesAdsH(t)=\int_{0}^{t} e^{-s A} B B^{\top} e^{-s A^{\top}} d s is (strictly) positive definite.

(iii) The matrix Mn=[BABA2BAn1B]M_{n}=\left[\begin{array}{lllll}B & A B & A^{2} B & \cdots & A^{n-1} B\end{array}\right] has rank nn.

Consider the scalar system

j=0naj(ddt)njξt=ut\sum_{j=0}^{n} a_{j}\left(\frac{d}{d t}\right)^{n-j} \xi_{t}=u_{t}

where a0=1a_{0}=1. Show that this system is controllable.